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One College, Three Presidents

A rare alignment places CBA at the center of campus governance, with three leaders representing students, faculty, and staff in a pivotal year for UNO.

  • published: 2026/03/04
  • contact: Melissa Lindell Kozak - Sr. Director of Communications & Marketing - UNO CBA
  • email: melissalindell@unomaha.edu
Three colleagues stand side by side in a bright, modern indoor atrium with large windows. They are smiling and dressed in professional business attire. Behind them is a large circular bronze sculpture mounted on a stand.

Left to right: Dr. Patty Bick, Drew Leisy, and Alex Zatizabal Boryca

This year at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, leadership across campus governance shares one home: the College of Business Administration.

The presidents of the Student Government Association, Faculty Senate, and Staff Advisory Council all come from CBA — an unusual alignment that highlights how business-minded leadership is shaping conversations across campus.

Together, Student Body President and Student Regent Drew Leisy, Faculty Senate President Patty Bick, Ph.D., and Staff Advisory Council (SAC) President Alex Zatizabal Boryca represent students, faculty, and staff, three distinct groups with a shared goal: strengthening UNO during a period of change.

A Student Voice at the Table

For Drew Leisy, leadership begins with service.

“Serving people has always been kind of in my blood,” said Leisy, a Business Administration major with concentrations in management, leadership, and real estate.

After stepping into student government as Director of Finance in 2024, where he helped navigate funding challenges for student organizations, Leisy ran for president on a platform of advocacy, accessibility, and accountability.

“We’re one student body,” he said. “Every voice is every voice, not just certain voices.”

As the UNO Student Regent, Leisy represents roughly 15,000 UNO students in meetings with administrators and the Board of Regents. He approaches that responsibility with clarity.

“I’m not there on my own behalf,” he said. “I’m there on behalf of the students.”

He believes student perspectives matter most when decisions directly affect daily campus life.

“We are living the lives of students,” Leisy said. “We know what it’s like day in and day out.”

A Faculty Perspective for the Long Term

Dr. Patty Bick, associate professor and chair of Finance, Banking and Real Estate, leads the Faculty Senate, focusing on continuity and communication.

“I really am thankful that I did it,” Bick said of serving in governance. “It gives me an insight into how the university is run that I wouldn’t have had any other way.”

The Faculty Senate acts as a bridge between faculty and administration as well as other constituency groups, evaluating how institutional decisions affect academic programs and educators.

“It’s our job to make sure that faculty are informed of what the administration wants to do — and vice versa,” she said.

Bick emphasized that faculty often provide long-term stability within institutions.

“Administrators come and go,” she said. “Faculty are generally here for the long term. While administration focuses on fighting current fires and establishing innovative initiatives, faculty have institutional knowledge on what needs improvement. Both voices are important. Communication is key for shared governance to work.”

She also believes CBA’s practical, problem-solving mindset strengthens governance conversations.

“Being in the business school helps us think through what we can actually do to move the needle - to continue to thrive as an institution in the ever-changing landscape of higher ed and to provide the education for the workforce of our communities,” Bick said.

A Staff Voice During Change

Alex Zatizabal Boryca stepped into the presidency of the Staff Advisory Council in January during a leadership transition and will serve an extended 18-month term.

“Higher ed is in an unusual space right now,” she said. “We’re all working together to make it work.”

With a background in educational administration and counseling, Zatizabal Boryca sees SAC as a way to elevate staff voices during institutional shifts.

“I would love to see that the reshaping of higher ed has staff voices in mind,” she said. “Those have to come from people who experience the real staff day-to-day work.”

She describes her role as both strategic and deeply personal.

“I feel an intense responsibility to show up for staff at a time when it’s hard,” she said. “It matters that we have students and faculty and staff having a conversation.”

Though Leisy and Bick will rotate out of their presidential roles this spring, the moment reflects something lasting: a shared commitment from CBA leaders to practical solutions, collaboration, and service across campus.

“We have different communities of interest,” Zatizabal Boryca said, “but we have the same goal.”

Meet the Leaders

Drew Leisy

Student Body President & Student Regent

  • Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA), concentrations in Management & Leadership, and Real Estate
  • From Bridgeport, Nebraska
  • Graduating December 2026

Dr. Patty Bick

President, Faculty Senate

  • Associate Professor & Chair, Finance, Banking and Real Estate
  • Joined UNO in 2020
  • Currently completing a two-year term as Faculty Senate president

Alex Zatizabal Boryca

President, Staff Advisory Council

  • Academic Advisor, College of Business Administration
  • BFA, Iowa State University; Master’s in Counseling in Student Affairs,
  • Ph.D. Candidate in Educational Leadership and Higher Education
  • Serving an 18-month presidential term beginning January 2026